Corps join in run
Some 160 runners and walkers took part in a training run on Saturday morning that was organised by the Polokwane Athletic Club.
POLOKWANE – Some 160 runners and walkers took part in a training run on Saturday morning that was organised by the Polokwane Athletic Club.
The runners participated in social 5, 10 or 21 km races, with the club supplying drinks at several water points throughout the route.
“I did the 5 km run to prepare for the South African Cross Country Championships, which will take place soon,” explained 16-year-old Hunadi Mashilo, a learner from Curro Northern Academy.
Mashilo, who will run for the Limpopo team during these championships, ran the race with her school friend, Maeshela Kolobo and finished the 5 km route in respectable time.
While some runners like Mashilo completed the training run in preparation for an upcoming event, other runners participated in order to raise money for charity.
A total of 15 runners from the US Peace Corps competed in the training run and raised money from friends and family back in the US for the Kgwale Le Mollo (KLM) Foundation.
JJ Fisher, the volunteer who organised the fundraiser, explained that the KLM Foundation helped children from rural areas to attend school.
“Sometimes these kids just can’t afford to go to school or they have lost their parents. The foundation supports the learners selected for the programme,” explained Fischer.
The entry fees of the training run will also go towards another worthy cause.
“The proceeds of the run will be donated to the Skukuza Marathon Club and the anti-poaching unit of the Kruger National Park,” explained Johan van Vuuren, the chairperson of the Polokwane Athletic Club.
An estimated R4 500 was raised during the training event.
“I would also like to thank everyone who participated in the training run,” added Van Vuuren.
A similar training run will take place in September. Keep an eye on Review for more details about the next training run.
